19th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette

Olive Trees Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Vincent van Gogh's 1889 oil painting Olive Trees, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Warm stone and walnut browns make up most of it, with deep olive greens as accents, so it suits rooms that want an earthy, settled feel.

Quick answer

Paint the walls in the pale cream, #DFDBAD. Use the warm stone, #C2BEA0, on large upholstered pieces, the walnut brown, #967046, on wood, and the deep olive, #717850, on one accent wall or door.

Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Date: 1889
Movement: 19th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 69

Olive Trees by Vincent van Gogh — Vincent van Gogh, *Olive Trees*, 1889. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, open access. The bar shows each color's measured share of the canvas.

The 6 colors in this painting

Measured from the image and ordered by how much of the canvas they cover. LRV is how much light a color reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white.

Soft warm stone

#C2BEA0 · 36% · LRV 51

Warm walnut brown

#967046 · 27% · LRV 19

Deep olive green

#717850 · 23% · LRV 18

Muted honey ochre

#B99A5C · 8.3% · LRV 34

Pale cream yellow

#DFDBAD · 4.3% · LRV 69

Bright yellow olive

#A8AB4F · 1.3% · LRV 38

Where each color lives in the painting

Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.

Olive Trees reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft warm stone is strongest — Soft warm stone

Detail of the painting where Warm walnut brown is strongest — Warm walnut brown

Detail of the painting where Deep olive green is strongest — Deep olive green

Detail of the painting where Muted honey ochre is strongest — Muted honey ochre

Detail of the painting where Pale cream yellow is strongest — Pale cream yellow

Detail of the painting where Bright yellow olive is strongest — Bright yellow olive

Closest paint colors

The nearest color from each brand. “Near-identical” and “Very close” are hard to tell apart on a wall; with “Similar”, compare a sample with the painting. Brands with nothing close are left out.

Painting color	Closest paints	LRV	Use it for
Soft warm stone `#C2BEA0`	Behr BNC-03 Essential Brown Near-identical Valspar 6006-3C Bayou Shade Very close Farrow & Ball No. 75 Ball Green Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7747 Recycled Glass Close	51	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm walnut brown `#967046`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2824 Renwick Golden Oak Very close Behr PPU4-17 Olympic Bronze Very close Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Close	19	Wood and frames
Deep olive green `#717850`	Behr 760D-6 Spanish Galleon Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6432 Garden Spot Close Valspar 6002-4C Candied Lime Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	18	One bold piece
Muted honey ochre `#B99A5C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6403 Escapade Gold Very close Valspar 3009-4 Bamboo Leaves Very close Behr S300-5 Spiced Mustard Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Close	34	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale cream yellow `#DFDBAD`	Valspar 6005-5B Leaf Bud Very close Behr HDC-CT-27A Fresh Willow Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6708 Springtime Very close Farrow & Ball No. 206 Green Ground Close	69	Main walls
Bright yellow olive `#A8AB4F`	Behr PPU10-05 Intoxication Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 Parakeet Close Valspar 6007-6B Gilded Pesto Close Farrow & Ball No. 251 Churlish Green Similar	38	One small textile

Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.

How pale cream yellow looks in your light

The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.

North-facing room#C7C9AF

North light is cooler and softer, so the pale cream wall will look calmer and a little greyer. The warm stone may read slightly flat, so pair it with warmer lamps.

South-facing room#E6DDB1

Strong south light brings out the warm yellow in the cream wall, so it can look bright and sunny. The deep olive will hold its depth and keep the room from feeling washed out.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C0AF81

Warm evening bulbs deepen the yellow and brown tones, so the room will feel cozy. The deep olive accent will look richer, and the cream wall will take on a golden glow.

Try the palette in a room

Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.

Walls

Bed, sofa, island

Bold piece

Wood takes Warm walnut brown and the rug border takes Bright yellow olive in every combination.

Mood board

Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.

Pale cream yellow

Soft warm stone

Deep olive green

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Save this palette

A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.

Save to Pinterest Download card

Guides that use colors from this painting

Pastel Paint Colors for Rooms Pastel

Sage Green Front Door Colors, Shown on Real House Schemes Front door · Sage green

Green Exterior Paint Colors for Your House House exterior · Green

More palettes like this

Gathering Wood Anton Mauve

La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930) Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Irises Vincent van Gogh, 1890

FAQ

Can I use the cream wall color in a small room?

Yes. Its light reflectance value is 69, so it bounces light well. A pale wall like this helps a small room feel more open.

Which color should I use for a dark or narrow hallway?

Use the pale cream, #DFDBAD, on the walls to reflect light. Keep the deep olive for a door or a single small accent so the space does not close in.

How do I balance the darker colors in one room?

Balance the walnut brown and deep olive with the warm stone and cream. Use the lighter tones on walls and larger pieces, and keep the darkest colors to wood and small accents.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain (CC0). Palette, posterized image, details and room views generated by Light & Pigment from that image. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.